Unknown Relations
by The Green-Eyed Wolf
Summary: Have you ever wondered how the fire that went out was suddenly reignited, and maybe what happened after the crestfallen student went back to train? Enter and find out for your selves.
1. Prologue

Unknown Relations

Chapter one- Prologue

A/N: Well, it's me again. How you all doing? Well, here's another instalment. Anyways, have you guys ever wondered how those fireworks on the chair went out when Po tried to ignite the rockets?

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Early one morning as the sun was rising over the mountain; activity was beginning to take place in the Valley of Peace. Every villager was rising to a fresh new day and a start to their usual routine; waking from their beds, cleaning up and dressing, having breakfast before leaving the house for school or hard earned work. Some had no time for a morning breakfast or were too eager to get out into the new day, so they decided to skip the most important meal of the day. But luckily, they had enough time to stop round Mr. Ping's famous Noodle house, to enjoy his wide range of freshly cooked noodle soups. The only problem was business being slow, but there were two reasons as to why that was. One, It was early in the morning and the shop had just opened. And two, the goofy owner's son was late for work, yet again. But that's not where this story starts.

It begins not too far away from the famous Noodle House. One building stands on a corner close to the centre of the village; two stories high with a gleaming touch to it that was welcoming to all who passed by. Not a lot of people had seen who lives there; only a few would visit once in a while to check on the owner or to come round for a friendly chat- every time they would be kindly greeted by a figure gloomily illuminated by a few candles, the most obvious about the individual was that they were largely rotund with a glowing pair of Jade green eyes that held a welcoming stare to whoever they looked on.

On the inside of this corner house, there were many rooms of various types: on the second level a bedroom with a king-size bed for two, another room with a single bed- though it was quite large. On the lower levels, a large kitchen was set with a dining hall attached, a very large training hall with mounts of weapons and training dummies and a simple, pleasant living room. In one other separate room, however, filled with stacks of papers, the owner of the house sat at a desk: wearing a smile on his face as his jade eyes scanned across the scroll parchment in his paw. Apparently half way, the owner's smile grew wider and wider with every word. But his moment of joy was cut short by a sharp knock at the door; grunting slightly, the owner placed the open scroll down on the desk and headed for the front door.

Once opened, a large boar stood in the doorway. "By the gods, man, still locked up in the house I see." The boar joked with a hearty laugh.

The owner chuckled. "Hey Hao." he replied, "What brings you here?"

The boar seemed a bit shocked by the question. "Haven't you heard? They're choosing the Dragon Warrior today at the Jade Palace." Hao explained in an excited manner. "Everyone's going; you should come along too instead of staying cooped up in your house." He joked.

The figure chuckled again. "Sure. I'll come. You go on ahead, I'll join you later. I just have to finish something."

Hao left the doorway, heading in the direction of the Jade Palace. "Alright, but don't take too long, they'll shut out anyone who's late." He called back to the house owner.

The figure in the doorway smiled and waved "Then save me a seat, Hao." He said before heading inside, closing the door. As the owner walked through his vast house, he could not help but laugh out loud. _No doubt he'll be there_. He thought. _He's loves this kind of stuff, and it's a good thing too. He's going to need it. _The rotund figure walked back to his dimly lit desk where the scroll he received yesterday still laid unravelled, only half read. Picking up the scroll, he read the finishing sentences. He smiled at the last few words before placing down the scroll back down on the desk. Heading back through the lower levels of the house, the owner reached for his cloak; wrapping it around his body and doing up a few buttons near the chest, looking back into the room where the scroll was laid, he smiled to himself and opened the door stepping out into the street, he pulled up his hood- covering his face and heading towards the Jade Palace, where already almost all of the citizens of the Valley were at.

As the owner of the house reached the bottom of the Thousand Steps, he noticed an abandoned trolley of freshly cooked noodles, stacks of pots and pans. Shaking his head he thought. _Does that goose ever give the kid a break?_ He glance up the steps to see a goose carrying an apron and what looked like a hat shaped like a bowl of noodles. He knew by a long shot that it was Mr Ping, owner of the famous Noodle House. _Apparently not. _He judged, moving onward and up the steps, but keeping a distance so the goose would not recognise he was being followed. As Mr Ping Reached the top of the stairs, suddenly shocked by what his son was doing, the cloaked figure quickly slipped into the bushes on the side of the steps, peering through the shrubs at what the goose was getting so worked up about. Apparently his foster son had attached himself to a chair- but by the looks of things, the chair was strapped with fireworks, a lot of fireworks. And the fuse was running short, fast. But it seemed that the firework's fuse was a dud. As it reached the base of the rocket, it doused in a small smoke.

The panda in the chair fell forwards hitting the floor, face first. From inside the shrubs, the cloaked figure could hear the whimpering sounds coming from the fallen panda. His ears trained on the conversation.

"Oh come on, Po." Mr Ping said as he picked up the apron, holding it out to the saddened panda. "Let's get back to work."

Po sighed "Okay." He whispered. From where the hidden figure stood, his face fell at the sight of the upset panda: he had known that young boy a long time; he had come to understand more about the panda than that foster goose could have ever known. It made his heart break. Deciding that it was best for Po, the hooded figure closed his eyes and focused. He was going to help that boy one way or another.

_Bang!_

It worked, the chair ignited! But the only problem was that it was facing the wrong way, the panda smashed right into the wall, rubbing along the surface due to the force of the fireworks. _Oops, should have set the chair up first._ The figure thought as he winced. But it was too late; the chair now shot skywards, taking a screaming panda with it. The various fireworks exploded in the sky with bright colours, earning an 'Ohh' and Ahh' from the audience inside. A very scared Mr Ping ran in through the doors of the palace arena, giving the cloaked figure to escape out of the shrubs. He ran up the last few steps, seeing that he couldn't just burst through the door the figure. Seeing the tree beside the wall, he ran towards it, climbing up it with ease he jumped from a branch onto one of the Palace Arena rooftops. He looked skyward at the now falling panda. _He's gone too high! Oh Gods, I have to act fast. But I can't reveal myself. _He thought rapidly. Sighing heavily, he had no choice in his next move._ This will have to do._ Taking a stance he focused again. When he knew the time was right, he cupped his wrists together and thrusts them outwards. In the Palace arena, a great wind rushed through the grounds, brushing past all the residents before it gushed upwards against the falling panda, slowing down his decent. But he was too heavy and falling too fast, Po smacked against the floor. The entire palace arena gasped in shock and horror. A tiger, monkey, viper, mantis, crane and old tortoise crowded around the body.

The panda lay motionless. The most shocked of them all was the cloaked figure that was on top of the roof. The figure fell to his knees. _No...No! No!_ _He can't be!_ But then he spotted something; the panda's arm moved. He was alive. He was groaning in pain, and grabbing his head. The figure watched the aged tortoise point a weary claw at the now stirring panda.

"Oh! Sorry, I just wanted to see who the dragon Warrior was-" The panda stuttered as he began to back off.

"How interesting." The old tortoise said to himself.

"M-Mater Oogway, are you pointing at me?" A female tiger said stepping forward. The tortoise shook his head and motioned to the panda.

"Him." Oogway said.

"Me?" The now standing panda asked, moving in various directions, but the pointing claw just followed.

"Yes, You." Oogway said again, smiling. The aged to tortoise raised the panda's arm effortlessly with his stick. "The Universe has brought us the Dragon Warrior!" He addressed the entire arena.

The entire arena in unison gasped. "What?!" But after a short silence, then a ring from a bell signalled for staff geese and pigs to flow from Palace, running towards the panda with a carriage and various other traditional objects. An uproar of applause and cheer came about the arena as the panda seated himself in the carriage and was carried away, before he broke the seat. The Five Kung Fu masters in the centre lined and bowed in respect to the panda whilst an enraged red panda began to argue with the Oogway.

"Master Oogway wait! That flabby panda can't possibly be the answer to..." The red panda shouted, but lowered his voice quickly. "...our problem. You were about to point at Tigress! Then that...thing fell in front of her. It was an accident." He argued.

The tortoise turned to him. "There are no accidents, Shifu." He calmly said before walking on after the newly Appointed Dragon Warrior, leaving a frozen, eye-twitching Shifu.

The five various masters joined behind and apologised for failing him, but he only disregarded it by saying. "No! If the panda has not quit by morning, then would have failed you." He said turning around. "You're dismissed to training. I will speak to you eventually." His students bowed before leaving. Things had certainly not gone as planned for Shifu or the tournament; a panda was chosen as the Dragon Warrior; the Saviour of the Valley. This was not what he was expecting when that, fat fur-ball came out of the sky and dropped right in front of Tigress. She was the one who should have been picked, not that villager. Sighing, the aged red panda rubbed his temples, fighting back the irritating headache that kept on banging against his already hurting forehead. Shifu took in a deep breath, needing the cleanliness of fresh air to clear his mind. But as the red panda was about to follow on the newly proclaimed "Dragon Warrior", something caught the corner of his eye. Turning he looked up to find a figure standing on top of one of the Arena audience stand roofs.The figure was covered by a thick cloak with a hood kept up, shrouding the figure's face, but they seemed not interested in him but rather in a different direction, up at the festivity about the chosen panda. But soon the hooded cloak turned its head down to Shifu. The red panda stared into the abyss-like hood. He knew there was a pair of eyes in the darkness staring back.

They stared at each other for what seemed like a life time, wondering what was the next move, or who was going to be the first open to make it. The shrouded figure made the first budge.

Turning around the cloaked figure ran towards the Thousand Steps. Master Shifu followed on quickly, jumping up onto the roof and speedily running after them. He watched from behind as the figure jumped from the rooftop, disappearing from behind the wall. Shifu sped after the figure but when he reached the end of the rooftop, something caused him to stop...the figure was gone. After searching the steps and intently listening to any noise- but there was nothing; deciding that he would find out whom that shrouded person was, Master Shifu jumped off the rooftops, landing with ease before heading towards the Hall of Warriors, needing to have a word with the newly appointed 'Dragon Warrior'.

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A/N: Well, now we know why Po's chair randomly went off. But who is this mysterious figure? How did he save po from falling to his death? Welcome to Unknown Relations.


	2. Front Row Seat

Unknown Relations

Chapter two- Front row seats

A/N: With what happened in the past, we can now only look to the future. Let's see what is happening in the present day. Enjoy.

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Time had now passed on a few weeks. Tai Lung had been defeated at the hands of the Dragon Warrior; Po, by the infamous Wuxi Finger hold, earning the panda his place among those that lived at the Jade Palace. Training by their side, cooking every night without hesitation, joining in with conversations- earning their friendship, it was a place where Po felt completely at home. Me had moved his belongings from his old room, but kept behind those he classed as being personal; and as well, the panda couldn't help but want to keep his old room as it was- so encase of a visit to see his father, Po could always come back to a familiar room.

Now to the present day, most of the valley was full of activity. After the battle between the two rivals, much damage was done across the village. Guilt ridden by the visible damage, Po offered to spend most of his time in helping the villagers with repairs- even when they denied his assistance, the panda would be so dependant, he'd help despite their denies.

But today Po was not helping the villagers out. He had seen the ingredients of the Palace kitchen running low. With permission of Master Shifu, he left for the valley's grocery market, it was difficult for Po; every time he picked up the ingredients and prepared to pay, the owners would occasionally say with a raised hand, 'There's no need, Dragon Warrior. You're a hero.', but her would always reply with a hearty smile and reply 'I'm no hero, just another villager like you or anyone else' before paying the right amount of money and moving on, leaving a jovial merchant to tend to their next customer. As the panda strolled through the village with a few grocery bags cradled in his arms, he stopped. Searching around on the spot he noticed that something was missing, they were nowhere to be seen.

"Tigress?" Po asked himself, hoping that the female tiger was close by. "Tigress?" Still no reply. "Tigress?" He now called out into the busy street. "Tigress, where are you?" There eventually came a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, the panda came to find the very person who he was calling, right in front of him; carrying a few groceries of her by her sides. Po smiled. He remembered when he was speaking to Shifu about getting the ingredients that he may need help. And it as only by an unlucky chance did Tigress happens to be walking by on her way to the Training hall. She was instantly picked to lend a hand, in spite of being reluctant. Now she was really starting to despise coming down: a cold stare was all that she gave the panda, causing him to give a sheepish smile.

"Are you finished yet?" She asked frostily. "I have training to get back to." Reminding him of how strict her usual routine was: Wake up, eat breakfast, training vigorously, eat and sleep. The panda put on a thoughtful look, checking over his mental list before answering.

"Nope. We've got it all." He replied, checking off all the items.

Tigress let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Now let's get back to the Palace." She added, striding past the panda with full force in direction of the Thousand Steps.

"Well.... Tigress." Po called out, staying in his place. "I-I wanted to tell you something." He said, his voice getting quieter and shaky.

"What is it?" Tigress asked, uninterested, still walking but not looking where she was going, her attention focused on the uneasy panda.

Po shifted slightly. He was uncomfortable. "Well....I-I....I just wanted to...say....." He stuttered.

Tigress was getting agitated. "What is it, panda?" She snapped. Po winced a bit at her words.

"I was just trying to..." He looked away for a few moments, wondering what to say. Summoning his courage he looked back up. "I just wanted to tell you that..." His face froze in a mixture fear and worry. "Tigress! Watch out!" He shouted trying to point, but with the bags in his hands, it was no use and too late.

It all happened in a quick flash, more or less. Whilst the tiger was moving away from Po heading in the general direction of the Jade Palace, but because her head was turned away from and looking at him instead, she did not see that her stride had lead her on a collision course with a moving cart topped with heavy crates. Smashing into the portable market stand, the tiger fell backwards onto her behind, dropping the bags of ingredients in her hands moreover allowing the contents to spill out across the floor. All eyes turned towards the tiger on the floor and the cart; that's heavy crates were now beginning to waves like a building ready to collapse.

Tigress grunted and cursed herself for being so idiotic to not look where she was going. Rubbing her head at the impact, she growled but was relieved to find no bump between the fur atop. But that was the least of her worries. After crashing into the handcart, the heavy crates at the top of the piles were unbalanced and beginning to wobble. The female tiger never saw it coming as the crates tumbled over the edge in all directions, eventually one of them falling and landing right into Tigress' left foot. The orange feline roared as she felt white hot pain shoot from her foot and up her leg. Po dropped his bags, mouth agape.

Seeing his most favourite Kung Fu feline master in pain, Po pushed through the crowd to Tigress. "T-Tigress. Are you alright?!" Po asked while kneeling beside her.

"Does it look like I'm okay?" She asked sarcastically.

Po ignored her sarcastic remark."No, not really. Here, let me get the crate off you." Po said while moving towards the large crate that still lay across her ankle. Tigress 'huffed' in arrogance

"Panda. I can't even lift it. What makes you think that YOU can?" She asked a bit more coldly this time. Doubting the fact that even though she was strong and had the muscle to lift heavy objects, how a panda could just simply flip something that heavy was beyond her wonder. She knew he couldn't do it.

"You mean like this?" Po asked while lifting the crate with ease.

Tigress watched with amazement as the crate flipped off her injured foot. But her shocked expression was masked with anger and embarrassment: flushing slightly in her cheeks she spoke. "I was just in shock; you try having something heavy crush your ankle." Tigress alleged in a sarcastic manner again, although the tiger was glad that the fur was doing a great job of hiding her red hot cheeks. She was embarrassed at how Po moved the crate with such ease but it was also because of the fact that she had made a complete total humiliation out of herself. In public! But now things were just getting worse, she glanced around to the growing crowd; she could see their expressions at her: disgust and concern. And she knew why. Sighing, she next said "I'm sorry, Po. I didn't mean that."

"Ah, don't worry about." Po said with a reassuring smile. "Looks like you won't be able to walk for a while." Po said while lifting up and placing the crate back onto the wagon, motioning to her ankle.

A bit of a determination appeared in a smirk curling at her lips. "I'll be the judge of that." Tigress said as she placed a paw on the wagon and pulled herself back onto her feet. But as she placed the weight of her body onto her left foot, the white hot pang of pain shot up her body, causing her to collapse back down to the floor and growl irritably.

Shaking his head at her failed attempt, "Told you." Po said while walking back over. "Wait here." He added, before looking through the crowd at a few of the stands. Finding one with the necessary requirements, Po eased his way through the crowd to a not-to-far-away stand. Grabbing the essentials needed, he paid respectively before returning to the crowd where Tigress still sat. Crouching by her side, he let his arms drop the stuff they were holding. To Tigress' point of view there were a few bandages and a bag of ice.

"What are you doing?" She asked him, confused as to why he had just bought these items.

"Just wait. You'll see" Po said, sitting on his knees and began to pick up the bandages, unravelling an end before placing it on Tigress' injured ankle: making sure that his touch was tender and light. "This is something I saw my dad once do when I injured my ankle many years ago. It really helps." Po reassured her grabbing the small bag of ice, slowly lowering the wintry cubes onto the area of the injury, earning a gasp of respite at the freezing touch soaking through the bandages and her fur. The tiger was amazed at amount of pain taken away. Po continued to unravel the rest of the bandages, holding the cod bag in place around her foot. "There we go. How does it feel?" He asked, looking at her.

"A little cold." Tigress admitted.

The panda chuckled at her crude joke "It helps to keep swelling down and you won't feel the pain so easily." The panda explained with a smile as he went around and grabbed the grocery bags. After picking up every bag, he pulled the tiger to her feet. Tigress hissed slightly at the pain she could still feel through her now numb limb. Worried for her safety and concerned for all the amount of steps she had to climb, the panda quickly got an idea. "Here. Hold these." Po said while handing her the bags of groceries.

"Why? You're not going to make me carry these all the way to the palace are you?" Tigress asked in sarcasm again as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Po shook his head at her comment "Don't be silly. I would never have you do something like that." Po said while gently motioning for her to take the bags. Reluctant at first, tigress grabbed all of the grocery bags and cradled them in her arms. Satisfied with now having his hands free, Po stepped beside the tiger, placing his paw behind her on her upper back. Tigress froze at the touch his paw on her back, almost making her drop the bags and punch him straight in the face.

Shifting quickly with a limp, away from his touch, she asked in a surprised tone."What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm going to carry you of course." Po said while placing his paw back onto her body, hesitantly. This time the tiger didn't shift away. "Just trust me, Tigress." Po reassured as he stepped closer, sliding his other paw underneath her legs.

Tigress flushed again at him being close to her body and the soft touch of his paw on her back and underneath her legs."You- you can't carry me, Po. I'm going to be heavy with these ba-" The tiger never got to finish her sentence as she as instantly lifted off the ground with effortlessness. He claws grasped onto the bags of groceries in her lap at the sudden motion, her face was complete stunned.

After being lifted into Po's arms Bridal style, Tigress began to squirm a bit, trying to have Po put her down. "What do you think you're doing Panda?! Put me down.' She orderly growled, but secretly wished him not to. Po only smiled. "I mean it Panda! Put me down!" She growled once again. This time Po spoke.

"Tigress." Po said firmly, yet gently.

Tigress quickly silenced herself, but had a peeved expression. "What?" she asked abrasively.

Po smirked and replied."Shut up." Po said with a caring smile, causing Tigress to blush very heavily and a few gasps to come from the crowd still watching. The flushing tiger's cheeks were so red that it was now visible through her orange fur. Tigress was at a loss of words. Normally she would be insulted, and trying to claw his face off, but the way he said it was sincere and caring. Tigress couldn't help but let go a ghost of a small smile creep on her face. Po caught it out of the corner of his eye.

"...Fine." Tigress grumbled.

"Excellent." Po said with enthusiasm "Ok, brace yourself beautiful, this is going to be a long walk." Po replied while begging to walk." Tigress' blush was now showing at full capacity. This was the first time she had been called beautiful by anyone, she now felt exceptionally sensational, especially when the words were coming from Po. With the tiger in his arms, Po walked past the crowd of onlookers and headed straight for the Jade Palace. Walking up the steps with no difficulty even though he had a fully grown tiger carry a lot of bags in his arms. Back where the accident had just occurred, he on looking crowd began to disperse and go back to their daily routines. But on the corner of the large crowd a figure in a cloak and hood watched from a corner: their face concealed in a hood. But underneath the shaded material, two eyes watched at the scene that just occurred and the panda with the female tiger in his arms. Smiling at the view, the figure turned around and shrunk back into the darkness of the alley corner, their smile still spread wide across their shrouded face. _This is good. Very good._ They thought_._

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A/N: Well that was something you never expected to get from Master Tigress or from Po. And it looks like they're being followed. Well, till next time, goodnight.^_-


	3. Daydreams and Nightmares

Unknown Relations

Chapter Three- Daydreams and Nightmares

A/N: Hey everyone, it's me again. Sorry for the wait, things have been busy here. From where we left off, Po carried Tigress up the Thousand of steps. What will happen next, let's watch.

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_They were at the Thread of Hope standing on a cliff high above the rumoured- bottomless pit. He was smiling right at her. His eyes burning straight into her own, filling her with fear like she had never known. Looking down from where she stood, she knew that he had won. Her friends lay stiff as rocks, twisted in different ways that almost looked as if they were deformed corpses spread out across an unmarked graveyard Fresh blood oozing from their mangled bodies. Usually when she stared into the eyes of the enemy she would generally just stare straight back, with such a fierce look that it would cause most to turn and run for their life, but it was now the other way around: She was the one who felt to undersized and he was the one who was giving the intent look. She knew she was trapped and unable to do anything. _

_Her mind went blank. Her instincts would occasionally explode into action here, but now they seemed to dissolve into thin air long with her courage. Backing up, step by step, she soon felt the edge of the cliff give way a bit beneath her feet. Now she felt trapped, knowing that there were only two ways out: through the monster in front of her. Or the endless drop into the clouds and the mysterious chasm beneath. The monster stepped forward. His face showing a wickedness smile, he knew what she was considering. He was getting closer, she stepped back. She felt completely helpless. Then in a flash of white light, he attacked. She tried to dodge but his paw came smashing against her chest. Looking down she could see his caws dug deep into her body. She opened her mouth to scream but no words or sound escaped her lips._

_He snatched his paw back to show fresh blood dripping from the razor sharp claw, maliciously laughing at his work. Grasping her upper body, to keep the blood from spurting out she stumbled backward. Her legs went numb. She lost her balance, slipping over the rocky edge, falling backwards. The floor gave way beneath her. Nothing within her reach to grasp and pull on for balance. As she fell further down the cliff, the last thing she saw before being sucked into the cloudy mist was the monster figure standing over the edge, watching her with those fire-like eye, his laughter echoing over the rush of air that passed by her ears._

_Darkness_

Tigress woke up gasping deeply, as if she was just choked. Panting rapidly and looking around wildly, gasping her chest: trembling all the while. The dream she had felt so real, yet not exactly. She brought her paws to her face, resting her forehead in them briefly; panting into her palms with a shaky breath. _It - it felt so real..._ Tigress said to herself in her mind, still trying to calm down from the sudden rush of adrenaline. Soon she removed her paws from her face, to find that she had been sweating. Just when she had finally calmed down, there was a gentle knocking outside her door. A tender voice called out to her. "Tigress, you alright?"

Tigress let out a short breath of relief and answered. "Yes Po. I'm fine." She replied while wiping her forehead of sweat.

There was a pause. "May I come in?" Po asked, slightly hopefully.

Tigress pondered briefly and decided what the heck. "Yeah, sure." She said while looking a little annoyed. Eventually the door of her room opened up. Po stuck his head in slightly, hesitant to enter the feline master's room. "Come in, Po. I won't bite." Tigress encouraged with hers paws resting in her lap. The panda's whole body was now inside the room, though he still was uneasy: though it was just because he didn't want to do something he'd regret.

Fumbling with his fingers, Po asked. "A-are you alright Tigress?" He spoke with concern in his voice.

The South China tiger nodded. "I'm fine, Po. It was just a bad dream, that's all." She replied, flipping the covers off her body and swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. She rested her head in her paws again, feeling slightly light headed. She grunted at the headache.

Po looked at her, stepping close to the tiger: worried to see her grunting in pain. "Tigress, what's wrong?" He asked, not sure on how to approach the irritated female.

Tigress grunted again at the pain in her head. She was now beginning to sweat more. "It's n-nothing, Po." She spoke in an irritable manner, but it wasn't directed at Po, more towards the growing throbbing pain in her head. Po took a seat next to tigress on her bed; he was growing more and more alarmed. Hesitant at first, Po raised a paw to the female tiger and placed it on her paws that she was resting her face on, removing them as he placed his other paw onto the top of her forehead. Normally, Tigress would have swiped away his paw and thrown him out of her room, but his paws had a cooling sensation to their touch, she welcomed them.

From Po's point of view, his concern was still on the rise. For one thing, Tigress would have _never_ let him touch her way he is now and she certainly would never welcome his touch. Something was definitely wrong." Tigress, you're pretty hot. You okay?" Po asked the sweating tiger as he removed his paws, thinking her heard a slight whimper come from the master's lips as he did. "I think you may have a fever." He suggested.

"Don't be silly, Po." Tigress said as she pulled on the collar of her vest. "I'm fine. I've just not had anything to eat." She lied. Po's eyebrows were noticeably raised. He knew there and then that Tigress was being untruthful, he had cooked The Furious Five and Master Shifu all breakfast that morning, he watched them all tuck into their meals before eating his own. So he knew that she had eaten, she was just trying to hide the fact that she was coming down with a cold, or something worse.

"Well okay. If you haven't had anything to eat." Po said as he got off her bed. "Why not let me cook you something. I know a recipe that will work wonders." He added with a welcoming smile. Tigress looked up at him.

She stared into his Jade eyes, Gods, those beautiful eyes. No! Wait, what did she just think? Blushing at her thoughts and looking away. "Very well." She soon answered. "But I just have one question." She stopped the panda before he turned and exited her room." And I want a true answer." She wiped away more beads of sweat from her forehead.

Po turned and replied. "Sure. What is it?"

Tigress took a deep breath. "Why did I fall asleep, when you were carrying me?" she asked, looking him straight into his jade-green eyes again, trying desperately not show the redness appearing on her cheeks underneath the fur.

Po thought her question through carefully, if he said something wrong his butt would be bouncing back down those stone steps before he knew what hit him. He soon figured out how to answer. "Yes, Tigress, you did. I guess the reason why was because you were in shock. And I guess you were just tired....to be truthful I really don't know why you fell asleep. But I'm pretty sure it was because of this morning's accident. A crate fell on your foot, remember?" He explained, reminding her about the events that happened early in the day.

Tigress tried to think about what happened in the Valley, but all she got was a blank picture and an extreme wave of nausea. She placed a paw to her forehead again, hoping it would drive away the pain. Po now walked back to the bed. "Don't try to remember if it hurts you, Tigress." He was now starting to get more worried about the feline master. After some thought, an imaginary light bulb appeared above his head "Listen, you just lay down and I'll go get something for you to eat." Picking up the bed cover, the Tiger looked up at him with a look that said 'I'm fine'. "Please, Tigress." Po now begged. After a few moments, Tigress gave in, sighing she laid back down on her bed as Po pulled the cover over her body. Although Tigress didn't want to admit it, she was enjoying the comfort of being tucked into her own bed by the panda and that he was going to be brining her something to eat. It was rather touching, causing the redness in her cheeks to increase. Once the cover was over body, Po turned towards the door. "Now, you just relax. I'll be back in a minute." He said before exiting and heading off towards the kitchen, leaving Tigress in her bed: alone with her thoughts.

_Did, that happen? Did that really just happen?_ She thought back to earlier this morning where Po picked her up and carried her back to the palace and what she had just witnessed by her bedside_ ...his hands were warm_. She suddenly shook her head violently denying what happened. _Me? fall for a panda, that's just plain ridiculous, There's no way something like that could happen... just that his fur was SO soft...'_ After thinking that thought, Tigress slapped herself. Hard. Just trying to rid her of those thoughts, but they just came back in stronger waves. _His touch, his warmth, his gentle nature, his... firm paws...No_! She shook her head. _Don't be foolish Tigress! there's no way in this life that you could fall for a fat, clumsy, dim-witted, overweight... sensitive, kind hearted, understanding... loving...Augh! This is so stupid!_ She thought while shaking her head again. No matter how hard she tried, Tigress just couldn't help it, that fat panda she once insulted only a few weeks ago was starting to draw her in, and he wasn't even intending to! Somehow he had changed something about her. Whether it have been his care-free smile, positive attitude or child like manner that brought back laughter to the Furious Five he had captured her: like fish in barrel. But as her thoughts about the loving panda came in like a stampede, there was something about her dream that caused all the pleasant thoughts to be put on hold. As she recalled the memories of her dream, there was one thing in particular that questioned her thoughts. The figure that was in front of her, he looked familiar, very familiar but now matter of how many enemies she thought of, they just never fit the silhouette of that monstrous figure. After some intense thinking, without the extent of causing her headache to come stubbing back, she decided to see if some professional help could be used.

_I need to speak to Shifu about this_. She told herself. _Yes. I'll do that. Po can wait, I have other important things to worry about._ Making her final decision, Tigress knew that she would need to speak to the aged Master about her dream, it just could not wait. Fighting against the whims of her aching forehead, Tigress sat up with more effort than she intended. Obviously lying down did not help one bit. Grunting against the pain, she pulled the covers off her body that was now almost completely covered in sweat. _It can wait_ She mentally told herself. Swinging her legs over the edge, the feline master prepared herself to stand. But when she tried everything just went spinning and fuzzy, causing her to fall back down onto her bed. _Come on, Tigress. You're a master at your own style! You can pull your own weight._ She scolded herself mentally. Shifting closer to one of the walls, Tigress placed a paw on the surface, using her claws for grip; Tigress pulled herself off the bed. As soon as she felt her weight balance on both her feet, a wave of pain shot up her leg. Tigress growled as she raised her left foot off the floor. _How could I forget!_ Her ankle was still healing from that heavy crate falling on it.

But her ego was bigger than the amount of pain soaring through her body. _I have to get to Shifu._ Pulling mainly on the wall for support, the feline began to limp or more like hop towards the door. As Tigress ended up in front of her bedroom door and reached down to the handle, the door itself suddenly swung open to reveal Po on the other side with a tray in one paw; on top of it was a bowl of freshly cooked noodles, there was another but with water filled to the brim and a kitchen cloth hanging off the edge. The panda's expression at first was shock, but his eyebrows furrowed and his face hardened into a scold.

"I told you to stay in bed." He sternly said, almost sounding like Shifu.

Tigress seemed slightly surprised by Po's tone, but she still kept that same glare as always, in an effort to hide the embarrassment coming over her. "I need to speak to Master Shifu." She tried to manoeuvre her way around the panda, but Po just shoved a paw across the doorway, blocking the tiger from getting past. Tigress snapped her head at him. "Move, Panda. I need to speak to Master Shifu, now!" She growled. But Po never budged.

"You're not going anywhere, Tigress" Po said in a calm tone, even though his face was still stiff in a grimace. "You're in no position to argue with me. Look at yourself: you're sweating, you're limping, and you have an injured foot. I'm sorry; Tigress, but you're not going anywhere." Tigress was now completely surprised- Po sounded a lot like Shifu. But what also shocked the feline was that Po was the first person she ever knew, besides Shifu, to speak to her like that. The redness in her cheeks increased tenfold. She tries not to think about it. Hoping that she wouldn't have to be so cruel, Tigress quickly pushed herself past the panda and strode her way down the dormitory hallway. Po stood in place and sighed, he knew that couldn't stop Tigress, but at least he tried.

As Tigress continued to stroll down the hallway, she could not help but suddenly feel sorry for the panda. He had carried her all the way up the thousand of steps, put her in bed- twice- and even offered to make her something to eat. She needed to apologise. _Later, I'll apologise_ _later_. She decided. At this moment she needed to find Master Shifu. _I have to get to...get to- g- _Tigress grunted as she placed a paw on top of her head, the pain was now beginning to come in waves of nausea. The tiger placed a paw onto the walls to steady herself. From Po's position, he was still watching the tiger Master leave, but then something caught his attention. Tigress was slumping against the wall. He watched as she tried to keep her balance but it was proving of no use, fearing that she'll drop right on the spot, Po dropped the tray onto the floor, spilling the cold water and the steaming hot noodles over the wooden floor. Po made a run for Tigress and was by her side in such a speed not even he realised he had.

"Tigress, what's wrong?" Po asked quickly as he got in front of the tiger.

But it looked like Tigress didn't hear him; she was too busy writhing in pain, grasping at her head, grunting and groaning in agony. Po was scared and worried for the feline; she looked like she was being tortured or worse. Po had no idea on what to do. Eventually the writhing feline took a step forward and before Po could say another word, Tigress collapsed into his arms, muttering the words "Po...help me." before losing consciousness. Po now was completely in shock; He had an unconscious female in his arms and had no idea of what to do. But one thing was for sure though: Tigress looked so cute when she was unconscious. After some rapid thinking, Po had only two ideas: carry her on his shoulders and go find Shifu, or put her back in her bed and stay by her side.

Making up his mind, Po scooped up the feline bridal style just like before. Walking back down the corridor and into her room, Po laid the incapacitated tiger across the bed, pulling to cover's over her body. Po chuckled to himself at the sight. Anyone would have thought she was asleep. But the only thing that seemed different was the quick rise and fall of her chest as well as the beads of sweat matting down her fur. The panda thought for a moment and thought of some way to ease her suffering- placing a paw on her head he could feel that she was still very hot. His eyes wandered over her body, looking to see if there was anything like an infection or something that was causing the tiger so much pain. But there was nothing, but then his gaze came to rest on Tigress' panting chest and the tight sleeveless top covering her upper torso. Bringing his paw over from her head, accidently dragging it against her cheek, Po reached down and began to undo the top button. He reached down for the second. But as he neared the do-up, Po stopped and retracted his hand. _Po, you idiot! What do you think you're doing?! She'll sick and you want to under her shirt? _Po sighed. His too-good personality was right, if he was to undo the feline's shirt, he would be abusing her trust. And THAT is something he didn't want to misuse.

Po looked to the doorway where the tray and its spilt contents still laid across the floor. Getting off the bed, the panda knelt down beside the tray and picked up the bowl of noodles, scooping them back into the dish. Then he looked at the bowl of cold water, there was still quite a bit of the icy liquid still in there. _This will do._ He mentally told himself. With everything on the tray, Po turned around and entered the tiger's room. Setting the tray down by her bedside, Po grabbed the dish cloth, dipping into the icy water before wringing it of the liquid and placing onto Tigress' head.

It was getting late into the day, the sun was already setting behind the mountains from the view outside of Tigress' bedroom window. But Po didn't mind how late it was; he was going to be staying by Tigress' side and was not going to move unless he needed more cold water, or a bathroom break. He was determined to make sure she healed: whatever it takes.

* * *

A/N: Awwww...isn't that cute ^-^. Po's taking care of Tigress whilst she's sick. And he's not going to leave her. He is such a true friend. Well till next time, bye.


	4. The Peaceful Adversary Part 1

Unknown Relations

Chapter Three- The Peaceful Adversary Part 1

A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry for the long updates, a lot's been happening. Darn exams. Well anyways, let's continue from where we left off, shall we?

* * *

Even thought night had settled across the land, on a dirt road a few miles out at the bottom of a valley, a large wagon was moving in a direction for the Valley of Peace. Even though it was just being used for transport, it was moving at a fast pace. It seemed that whoever was riding was eager to get their destination without delay. Onboard the moving carriage there was three passengers: one was a male wolf who was driving, and two females that sat in the back, just enjoying the ride while it lasted. But as the ride continued on for what seemed like an eternity, one of the females was starting to get agitated and restless at the long trip.

The younger one of the two women sighed out of the window as she cupped her chin in her paws, staring up to the moon with dreamy eyes. That was until she irritably bounced in her seat. "Ow" She cried at the sudden jolt, although she was thankful for the cushioned fall. Sighing, she glanced over to the other, older female who was happily sitting with a letter she had received a few days earlier. The younger female glanced at the back of the parchment and then looked into the elderly eyes, which seemed completely trained on the letter. The young woman tilted her head slightly, staring at the back of the paper, trying to see if she could see the writing on through the back of it.

"You know it's rude to stare, Yue." The matured female spoke without looking up from the parchment.

The young woman, Yue, didn't seem surprised by the fact the old female didn't have to even so much as glance in her direction. The woman repositioned her head. "I wasn't staring, Mama." Yue said in a sweet tone. "I'm just curious." Her eyes never left the letter. Yue Liang was a girl at the right age of 20. She was a very attractive looking woman, with lovely curves, a cleavage size C59 and beautiful ocean eyes like her mother. If you matched that with her elegant knee-high, one piece dress: with a Yin-Yang design across that spread out across her chest, then she could have quite possibly have been classed as the most beautiful woman in all of the Imperial City- that is next to the Emperor's wife and daughter.

"When that letter arrived, you've never stopped reading it. I bet you've already read it at least 50 times already."

Yue's mother chuckled, as she rolled up the letter and placed it in her side pouch. "Well, that's because it's a very important, yet very private letter from an old friend." The matured female said with care as she looked her daughter. "Someone I haven't seen in a long time. I would really like you to meet him."

"Do you think he'll recognise you, this friend, Mama?" Yue asked, looking over the female. Yue's mother was an attractive woman even for her age. Even though she was in her late 40's, Xia Fu had a figure of slightly curvy hips and an amazing cleavage of a size D32, just slightly bigger than her daughter, with bright ocean blue eyes that held sensitivity and care. Her beautiful sky blue dress, with ocean waves sewn onto the shoulders and down the right ride, shimmered in both the sunlight and under the moonlight, just like her eyes. Actually, both females would occasionally catch a few eyes whenever they used to stroll through the Imperial City.

Xia Fu smiled, glancing out the window, looking across the landscape. For a moment, the matured woman seemed to be in a trance, caught up in her own world. Eventually she snapped out of it and looked back at her daughter. From her view, it seemed that Yue too was gazing out into the open air but was having trouble due to the rough terrain. Yue grunted and groaned at the violent jolts, rubbing her temples as if to drain them out of reality.

"Why don't you play your flute, dear?" The mother opted. "I'm sure it'll help you relax. Here, I'll get it for you." She added. Standing up in the moving carriage, Xia reached to an overhead shelf above Yue's position, fumbling around for the instrument. Eventually she cheered "Aha" as she felt what she was looking for, within her grasp. Eventually, the moderately aged woman sat back down in her seat opposite Yue. A small case sat in her lap; flicking a few switches she opened the container, picking up the flute from its cushioned shelter. For a few seconds Xia couldn't take her eyes off the instrument in her paws, it was just too beautiful to behold. It reminded her of so much. The flute was an instrument that had been handcrafted by musician, best in the Imperial City: with specific details and a day or so, the appliance was finished. About the length of one's arm, it was made with designs of two dragon bodies running up either end, stopping with their heads for bases and dotted with holes along the bodies, it was a very special item.

Breaking out of her day dream, Xia handed the marvellous instrument over to her daughter. Yue seemed a bit sceptical about the way her mother sometimes acted around certain objects and at certain times always made her wonder what happened behind those sapphire eyes, but after so long Yue had mostly given up trying to answer that question. Waving it from her mind, she leaned over and took the flute from her mother's paws.

Sitting straight in her chair, but relaxing slightly, Yue held the flute up to her lips and blew over the hole by one of the dragons' heads. The sounds that flowed from the flute with her breath, was the most serene sound that was ever heard, a soothing tune that even when played lowly, seemed so calm and relaxing. At the moment Yue started to play, every other sound; the carriage wheels along the dirt road, the shaking luggage, it all disappeared. The only sound was the luscious playing of music. Xia smiled brightly at her daughter; it warmed her heart to watch her play. Everytime a single note left the long instrument; Xia Fu would stop whatever she was doing and just...listen. The aged woman closed her eyes and relaxed in her seat, allowing the music to overtake her body, listening intently to the soft melody as paradise engulfed her. Yue smiled herself at the image of her mother looking so calmed.

* * *

High on the sides of the valley, on the tips of a rocky edge, a figure stood. Their presence was as calm as the night itself, but the aura surrounding them was mystified with an airy sense of fear. Their yellow eyes and red pupils glowed brightly, watching intently on the road far below. Examining the carriage that moved along the dirt path at a fast pace, like a predator watching its prey. Oh, but that's what this unknown form was doing. They were the hunter, and the people within the carriage were the ones being hunted, anonymous to their approaching demise. The figure crouched low over the edge, poised to never take his eyes away from the carriage. Soon the floor behind the shadowed form burst into black flames, as they doused themselves another shape took form. It stood in place for a while, its crimson red orbs for eyes glanced at the crouched figure then down at the carriage passing through the valley. They were almost like a shadow.

"I trust you are prepared?" The Red eyed form spoke, its gaze never leaving the bottom of the valley. His voice was just as calming as the moon.

There was silence for a moment, the only sound being the howling wind at the high altitude. He was expecting the arrival of the shadow. "I am." The crouching person spoke. "How do you want me to attack, my lord?" He asked to the shadow behind him.

"You will not attack." The shadow explained. "Your objective is to stay here. Do not leave this spot." His voice remained composed, but the orders were strong and unbreakable. "I have trained you long enough, it is time that we see how well you have learned. Do not move until I say so. " The crouching figure now stood up to his full height. The moonlight illuminated his entire body. He was a black panther, dressed in dark pants. A chain was worn across his waist, wrapping around his lower torso numerous times before being looped through the wraps. He wore a black Satin Kung Fu vest over his chest, loosely done up by the collar. A Jian sat over the back of his shoulder.

"Understood, my Lord." The panther spoke tranquilly without turning around. He knew what the figure behind him was instructing.

"Very well, I shall be watching." The calmed voiced figure spoke again. "Do not fail me." With that, the shadow disappeared the same way he came.

The panther stood still for a moment. He was alone once more. He liked it this way; he was able to see the plan out the attack beforehand. The images ran through his mind like a play in action. It was simple and effective. Breathing deeply and slowly, the panther raised his head towards the starry night. A sound seemed to fill the thin, cold air: it was pleasant-sounding, and soft. It was music coming from the heavens. He closed his eyes and a let his senses roam free, the wind rustled through his fur with a cool touch. Almost as if it was calling his name in the breeze. _A survivor. You're a survivor_.

It was so peaceful. So calming. So resembling

But he knew what had to be done; if everything was to go right then only three lives would be taken tonight. That is how he intended for it to be. That is how he wished for it to be.

*The Valley of Peace*

Night had fallen over the Valley like the rest of China, a full moon hanging high in the sky illuminating the Earth beneath. The streets were barren with no lights apart from the radiant shine of the full moon above. Everyone was in their homes, retiring for the night; that is apart from one house that sat on a corner of a street, its lights were still glowing brightly from the inside. Laughter could be heard from the inside.

"By the gods, Huo." Chuckled one of the residents. "That was hilarious!"

"Yeah! Where'd you ever learn that?" Asked another occupant.

"I've been around a bit." The boar, Huo, gasped for air as he wiped away the tears in his eye because he had laughed too much. But then he noticed that one person was missing from the room. "Hey, did anyone see where Mr Mix' n' match went?" asked the boar looking around. The group of friends shook their heads. "Well, that's just great. And I was getting to the good part." Huo huffed.

"Ah. No sense wondering where he got to now. You know him: you lose sight of him and he disappears, probably somewhere across China by now." The group of associates chuckled at the crude joke. "Anyways, just finish the story, it's getting good too." replied a resident as he urged the boar to continue

*meanwhile*

In a nearby room, the laughter echoed and it reverberated of the walls. But the owner of the house had his door closed, so the sound was muffled a bit. But that wasn't what he was preoccupied on. His attention rather was directed with a letter in his paw. It was from someone very special. After reading the letter for about the tenth time, the individual just shook his head and chuckled. "My, my. Even though she's sweet and proper, those 'Jokes' never get old. Just another thing I find attractive about her...." He sighed "If only she could see him now. How much he's grown, and at a proper rate too; the total opposite of his sister." He said to himself, while smiling.

Just as he set down the piece of paper on the wooden desk, something happened. His body became rigid and stiff as a rock, his eyes turned from their usual colour to a colour of ghostly white, shining brightly above the flames of the candles. He was having a vision. In it he saw a carriage travelling along a dirt road, then a high view of a panther standing over the edge of a mountain. A figure with red eyes behind him. The shadowy figure dispersed as the panther summoned other figures from flames around him. All of them drawing weapons and jumping down the side of the mountain. All except for the panther. The descending attackers were heading for the carriage with looks of slaughter in their eyes. Then the screams of two women.

As the visions faded into darkness, the owner came back into reality, his eyes turning back to their jade green tint. "No..." He breathed out. Not even bothering to cover up, he grabbed his straw hat and cloak. As well as a sword placed on a nearby stand. Fully covering himself in his cloak, straw hat and weapon by his side, he ran towards the door: but he never opened it as his entire body evaporated into thin air, leaving behind a symbol in the door for a short time before it disappeared- he had just teleported through the Path of Opportunity.

*Back outside the Valley*

Music continued to fill the carriage, flowing smoothly from the holes of the crafted instrument. After a few more moments of harmonious symphony, Yue finished on a long tune. The sound seemed to echo out into the night air before being overpowered by the rattling of the carriage against the dirt roads bumps. Yue removed the flute from her lips and set it down onto her lap with a sigh. It felt good. Somehow, whenever she played any song on her flute, everything around her- any stress, tension or difficult situations- everything dissolved and instantly became clear.

Xia Fu opened her eyes as the world came back into focus. She looked over to her daughter with those sky-coloured eyes. "Feel better, dear?" She asked softly with a smile.

Yue chuckled at the question and asked back. "I think that I should be the one to ask _you_ that question, Mama." Both females laughed. "But yes. I feel much better now." Yue added after calming herself down.

Xia fu smiled, cheek to cheek. "I'm glad; it helped me clear my mind too." She glanced at her daughter before looking at the window. "You know, I never actually told you..." she began, hesitantly, her face turning slightly into a serious manner. "....that flute you're holding in your lap. It's from an old friend of mine. Hopefully he's in the Valley of Peace where I can easily find him." Xia Fu seemed distant again, caught up in her own thoughts, but she quickly shook herself from them and faced Yue. "He's someone I haven't seen in a while too, dear. But he was very close to me." Xia Fu paused for a moment as she caught something out of the corner of her eye. On the outside of the window, shadows passed along the dirt path of the carriage silhouette. But something seemed different about the outline. For a short second the top of the carriage seemed to change shape- it looked as if something just jumped on top of the roof but made no sound on contact. Xia Fu dismissed it and carried on with her conversation. "Anyways, I hope you'll get the chance to-", then she saw it in the fraction of a second "Yue! Duck! Now!" She shouted at the top of her voice. The young daughter took no time in arguing, she drove straight for the floor. As her body landed on the flooring, where she just sat a long blade was positioned – sticking through the roof of the carriage. It had just missed the back of her head.


	5. The Peaceful Adversary Part 2

Unknown Relations

Chapter 5- The Peaceful Adversary Part 2

A/N: Hey everyone. Sorry for the long wait. Been busy with other stories. Sorry if this one's a bit short. Enjoy ^_^

* * *

The blade was pushed deeper into the carriage, going right into the floor. It then slashed to the left of the wagon, causing a gash to appear in the fabric above and the wooden floor below, another blade was thrust into the carriage hull, tearing the other way, causing the back to split apart. But it still moved onwards. The items that were placed in the back of the carriage weren't harmed, but they fell out of place and spilled all over the dirt trail. Now the front part of the carriage dragged along the dirt path as it had no back wheels to support itself. Luckily, before the carriage was torn apart, Xia Fu managed to grab hold of her daughter's robe collar and haul her onto the front part of the torn transport. Both females looked up at the rear part of the carriage to find various silhouettes, all as dark as the shadows, but they're eyes burning brightly in the dimly lit environment. There was a lot, on the sides, on the roof. All of them bore down on the two females. They growled, dispatching from the rear carriage piece before charging after the two females on all fours.

Even though the carriage was moving at a quick pace, the attackers were advancing at a speed neither female knew the group of cats had. They seemed determined to get to both Xi Fu and Yue, but that was something the mother was not going to let happen. These unknown assassins had more or less likely been sent to murder the mother and her daughter, but for the reasons, these were still completely unknown. Or as to who sent them in the first place was an additional mystery, but these were the questions Xia Fu intended on finding answer to _after_ she had survived this assassin attack.

They were now upon the two females, all of them jumping onto the carriage and trying to get as close to them both as they could. But Xia Fu wasn't going to allow one of these felines even touch a stand of fur on her. One of the felines latched onto the side of the torn carriage and reached in towards Yue. Xia Fu had to think fast, she looked around what was rest of the carriage for anything to use as a shield or weapon._ Damn, where is it? I need to find it._ The only closest thing was a travelling case. _Close enough. It'll do._ She thought, wasting no time in grabbing the handle and swinging it round, making contact with the cat's face. The assassin lost their grip on the carriage and rolled across the dirt road, but just got up as quickly and charged after the carriage again. Xia Fu did the same thing again with another as they tried to pounce in from the roof and the other on the other side. They both stumbled onto the dirt road, tripping up the first knocked off assassin as they all fell in to a bundle. That meant there were only a few more all over the front part of the ripped carriage, ripping and tearing at the surface and trying to get inside to the two females.

The fallen behind assassins quickly got to their feet and watched as the carriage got further and further away. _I have to stop that thing._ They all thought as one. _Then I will it will be easy to get to what's inside._ They all growled and once again charged after the transport on all fours, racing at speeds unknown to many. Yue and Xia Fu watched as the oncoming felines quickly caught up with the carriage, Xia Fu pushed her daughter behind her for protection whilst she readied the travelling bag for another swing. But what shocked both females is that they watched as all of the other assassins jumped off the carriage and join the other three felines in a group as they all ran behind the carriage. Soon the group began to gain speed, quickly running down the right side of the carriage and out of sight. Both females looked at each other confused as to why the enemy would just give up that easily. It was _never_ that easy. They were planning something, but what?

The answer to that question suddenly came, the entire carriage suddenly jerked to the left side before levelling out, knocking the females both to the floor. Yue quickly got to her feet and peered through the window on the front part of the carriage and looked down just in time to see two of the feline assassins slam their bodies into the side of the carriage. Ten three of them then the entire group, all the time the carriage began to tip more in the opposite direction. At one point it was almost just travelling on the left wheel for a few seconds before levelling back down onto both wheels. Xia Fu as well got to her feet against the swaying of the transport and peered out the window next to her daughter. Once she saw all of the assassins slamming their bodies against the carriage, Xia Fu grabbed her daughter by the shoulders and threw them both to the floor, shielding her daughter for what was to happen.

The group of felines continued to run alongside the carriage. _This will work. _They all thought at once, like one mind. _This will make the carriage come to its final stop. All together now!_ The all formed against each other as they ran, shoulder to shoulder and like one big battering ram, they slammed into the side of the carriage, pushing together with all their strength. The carriage tilted in the opposite direction and continued to go that way, taking the horses pulling and the females inside with it. The torn carriage rolled off its wheels and onto its side, then the roof where it then swayed before coming to a complete standstill. The group of felines all got to their feet and stood in a line as they looked at the over-turned carriage. The contents inside where spilled all over the dirt road where the two females lay spawn out, separate from each other, possibly knocked out from being thrown from the carriage. _It will make their deaths more silent. I prefer it that way._ They all thought. The one feline in the centre of the line took a step forward whilst the others just stood still; panting slightly from the energy it took to topple the transport. The centre assassin drew his blade from his side and held it tightly in his paw.

As the assassin drew closer to the carriage, he looked down onto the two females through his burning eyes. Then like before, as this one felines thought, they all thought. _Let their deaths be quick. Let their screams not be heard by the souls of the rested and the living as they are placed to sleep. Let my blade be quick and true. _He then drew closer to his target; it was the younger one of the two females. Reaching down he over turned her face down body. She lay on her back now, limp but not dead. Just unconscious. _Let these souls peacefully rest...._The felines rose to his feet and straddled the female; his blade raised and turned it upside down so the tip aimed for her chest area. _...in the eternal plain. _He braced and raised the sword higher. But as blade sliced down through the air, the feline stopped as a bright light emitted from behind him. The assassin lowered the blade and turned around slowly till he came face to face with one stern, but calm glare. Xia Fu and Yue both began to gain consciousness; they both looked at the feline with the weapon and the cloaked figure that now stood in front of him. "Get away from her." The figure calmly spoke, before he gave a straight punch into the felines face, knocking the assassin a few feet away to the feet of the group.

The straw hat figure raised down a paw to Yue with a serious face, the female was unsure about whether to take hold. "Take my hand." He spoke softly even through his stern expression. Yue did as she was told and grabbed hold of the figure's paw, hoisted onto her feet. The unknown person under the straw hat suddenly wheeled round to ace the group of assassins, drawing a bladed weapon and holding it tightly in both paws. Even though his eyes were trained on the group of growling felines in front, he spoke quietly to Yue, loud enough for her to only hear. "Stay behind me." He ordered as he began to slowly step to his side, moving towards Xia Fu. Once they were within distance, Yue helped her mother to her feet and held her close. The cloaked figure still had his eyes trained on the group of assassins, weapon held firmly in his paws. "Listen to me, when I give you the word." He quietly spoke. "I want you two to run to the carriage and stay there. Let me handle these guys." The two females didn't reply but he didn't need to hear them to know that they understood. "Ready..." He started slowly. The group of feline assassins remained still. "Go!" H shouted before lowering the sword down to his side as he charged forwards. The group of felines hissed and growled before also charging, circling around the figure. The battle initiated.

Xia Fu quickly pulled her daughter as they ran to the over drawn carriage. Whilst Xia Fu pulled Yue along, the young female could not help but stare at the battle that had just begun between the group of assassins and this one strange figure that just appeared out of nowhere. But her sight was cut short when she was pulled to the inside of the over turned carriage by her mother. "Stay here!" Xia Fu ordered her daughter.

"W-where are _you_ going?" Yue exclaimed as she watched her mother make head for the outside of the carriage. Xia Fu got to the edge of the torn carriage and peered out at the battle ensuing between the figure and the felines. They surrounded the unknown man, each one of them tried to jump in and catch the figure off guard but every time they only got punched and kicked back out or were changing their tactics to avoid the sharp blade that came in their direction. Xia Fu could tell that the figure in the centre of the fight was losing energy and fast, he was wasting too much of it just trying to stop his enemy from even getting close. That was a mistake. One of the assassins managed to get an opening, they went low on all fours and pounced, landing on the figure's back and sinking their claws into his back. The figure roared out in pain and suck down to one knee, but still managed to swing his sword about just to keep the others from getting any closer. Xia Fu gasped at the sight of the figure falling. She couldn't let them kill him. Looking around Xia Fu searched for something in particular; something she knew would come in great assistance at the point. She quickly rummaged around in everything there was in the front part of the carriage. Yue watched as her mother scurried around the carriage, looking for something but what. Then she saw her mother's eyes widen as she found what she was looking for, though it really confused as to why she had chosen this particular item. It was her flute. Xia Fu gave another glance round the carriage's edge, it was getting worse for the figure as he still had one of the felines on his back but now another had jumped onto his back. It amazed her slightly that he was able to keep going. She had to do something, whipping her head round to face her daughter she pointed a claw at her. "Stay there, don't move!" And with that, she disappeared round the corner. As she was out of her daughter's sight, Xia Fu raised the flute up to her lips and blew on one of the dragon's head's nostrils. She then threw the instrument into the air as both the dragon heads spat out blades on either ends. The now-bladed instrument fell back down into Xia Fu's paw; she grasped the body of the flute tightly and headed straight for the fight.

The figure was in quite a bit of trouble with these assassins. There were two on his back, sinking and clawing their way at him whilst the others surrounding got closer and closer with every attack. He couldn't decide who to deal with first. If he shook off those on his back the others would attack and he'd be kitty food, but if he went for the others those on his back would soon bleed him to death. _Damn, I hate it when things like this happen. _He cursed in his mind. _I have to get these guys off of me. _The figure suddenly back to swing the sword in all directions with one paw whilst he used the other to try and grab hold of anything he could reach over his back. He swung again in the other direction with his sword outstretched. This caused one of the felines on his back to lose their grip for a moment; they slid forwards slightly so their head came right next to the figures and knocking off his straw hat in the process. The felines growled as they looked into the figure's eyes whilst he looked back. But as he did, his eyes widened with shock. Behind the burning eyes of the feline he could see more than just hatred and anger. A recognisable figure stared at him with a peaceful look. That meant these assassins were being controlled, they were troubled souls that had been created out of dark magic. His eyebrows furrowed.

* * *

High in the side of the Valley, perched on the side of a mountain, the panther sat in the lotus position. His eyes closed. But in his mind he could see everything that was happening hundreds of feet below by the over tuned carriage. Inside his mind he could see from various perspectives, for he was those feline assassins, or rather he was the one controlling them. But then his body stiffened when he looked into the figure's eyes that he had set of f the felines upon. He could see that the figure was looking at him, not at the felines. It was then he heard the words echo in the void surrounding his mind. It was coming from the figure that stared at him. _It's been a while, old friend. You dare attack these women. You thought you could get away with it and not have me know. Your master will not be pleased when he finds out-_ the voice stopped suddenly and the panther went rigid, he drew in a quick gasp of air as he felt a sudden sting of pain.

* * *

The glance only lasted a couple of seconds before the feline gasped and burst into a cloud of ash and soot, covering over his face with blackness. The figure closed his eyes and covered his face from the dark clouds, but he felt the weight on his back lighten then again as another sound of an ash cloud exploding came to his ears. The second assassin on his back had just been killed. The figure looked up in time to see a silhouette fly over head and land in front of him in a stance. The figure knew it was one of the females from the carriage, the older one. He watched as the woman attacked and swung a doubled bladed weapon at the assassins who all jumped back and hissed. The figure ran up to the side of the woman and grabbed her arm, quickly dragging her back as the group charged forwards. The figure quickly fly kicked the closest feline into the group, knocking them down and giving him the time to turn to the woman and say, "I thought I told you to wait in the carriage!" He scolded.

Xia Fu just smiled at the figure and wrapped a paw around his neck before pulling him into a deep passionate kiss, not minding the soot that covered his face. The figure settled into the kiss with lust that he had not known for quite some time. As Xia Fu broke off, "You're not making me sit out of this fight." The figure's hard expression softened as he pulled her into another deep kiss.

"It's been too long, my Dumpling." He cooed, stroking her cheek.

"That it has, my Jade Warrior." Xia Fu cooed back. She then noticed the group of assassins getting to their feet. The pair separated and readied their weapons. "How about we deal with these assassins who are so-ever rude to interrupt our wonderful moment?" She smirked.

The figure smirked as well. "Let's. Ready..." He stated

"Set...." Xia Fu continued.

They both charged towards the group, both of them shouting the word, "Go!" as if they were on some race. The rest of the feline assassins charged with fully fury and rag; intending to see their opponents' fall, all thinking the same thing. _Let it be quick._


	6. The Peaceful Adversary Part 3

Now I know it's been a while since I last updated this story, and I'm sorry to all of you who've been following.

I've been taking some time to think about the storyline for this story, and now I know what path to take.

BTW, I really appreciate it and give thanks to all those who've already reviewed so far, but I ask if I could have just a little more- just a little. These reviews are what keep me going with my writings. This one's to my latest reviewer- here's to you AzurexJen S.

Enjoy

Yue Liang, Xia Fu, Cheng, Tiang and 'The Shadow'- belong to me.

All other characters belong to DreamWorks.

_Chapter six- The Peaceful Adversary Part 3_

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* * *

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What had once been a quiet countryside, calm and unruffled was now- somehow- turned into a miniature battlefield. Fu and the mysterious caped figure fought side-by-side, and even back-to-back, working together as one, using one's weakness to become the other's strength. The cloaked figure took a firm grasp of Fu's wrist, with her grasping onto his in return as she dashed towards one of the assassins, running up him like a ramp before kicking him in square on the nose and jumping onto the feline next to him and the next one and the next, till the chain was broke as the following catlike creature ducked to the floor. But this gave an opening for a sword- from the covered stature- to be sliced across its chest, resulting in the assassin falling down to the floor like his predecessors- in a pile of ashes- dead.

The pair of fighters once again stood back-to-back, both panting profoundly, using the moment of pause that they had. The cloaked animal chuckled lightly between his gasps. "You still here... Dumpling?" He smirked.

"Of course... Jade Warrior. Someone's got to...watch...your back. I've done it...more than once, remember." Fu replied, taking in deep breaths.

He gave another light chuckle at her counter. "How could I...forget? Good to know...you haven't...changed." His concealed eyes checked over the layout of the roadside and up the climb of the mountains, watching and waiting- just like how his enemy was doing the same. He knew that out there in the darkness, somewhere they were being preyed on. Fu was the same on her side, tensed, unsettled- waiting for her enemy to appear. Instincts had told her there were always reinforcements; it was never a full charge thing when it came to assignations and strategized attacks. It was only a moment of time.

The silence that overcame the setting went on for minutes, though it really felt like hours. The temptation to let their guard down was beginning to prove more of an option as the seconds went by.

Back inside the half-torn wagon, Yue sat with her knees held up to her chest. The silence of the night air suddenly seemed frightening to her. No growl, groans, cries, screams- nothing. It was too much to bear. Facing her fears of the quiet night, she fumbled her way out of the carnage of the carriage and into the open of the roadside. "Mama?" She called, finding her elder back-to-back against the cloaked fighter. They immediately swung in her direction, both of them growled, but immediately ceased once they saw it was her.

"Yue, I said for you to wait in the carriage!" Fu scolded as she broke away from her ally.

"I said for you _both_ to wait in the carriage." The figure known as 'Jade Warrior' followed on after her, keeping the corner of his eye open to another attack. He paused and turned to Fu. "You never were good at listening to others, the amount of times you were stubborn."

Fu glared at the taller fighter. "You're one to talk. Anyways," She turned her attention back to Yue. "I told you to stay in the carriage; it's too dangerous to be out here. It's not safe yet." She placed a paw on Yue's shoulder. "You have to get back in there."

"But why?" Yue asked with questionable eyes. "Why can't I help you? You're safety is just as important as mine."

Jade Warrior chuckled to himself, shaking his head, as he turned walking over to his straw hat. Picking it up, he dusted the dirt of its hood before setting it neatly atop his head. When his hat had been knocked off by one of the attackers, he was thankful to have had the bottom half of his face covered by his robe. It was a good thing he kept up his deception-like appearance for the time being. It was too dangerous to reveal himself to the young panda, for the time being. He could still hear the conversation between the two females whom he had his back to. It sounded like it was turning into a bit of an argument. He laughed quietly. _I've missed that so much._ He thought optimistically. He decided to remain with his back to the pair, keeping a watchful eye out for more assassins. One ear trained on the surrounding mountains, the other focused on the argument.

Only a few yards away, Fu tried to keep her frustration under control. Yue was sometimes a handful; she was persistent, determined and full of enthusiasm. All the traits that Fu herself had. Inside she was smiling at how her daughter had grown up. Though at the same time, she was beginning to get annoyed by those features. "Look, Yue, it's not important at the moment. What _is_ important is making sure you stay alive. You're too precious. You're too valuable." She tried to gently push her daughter towards the carriage, but Yue wasn't going out without a fight. She swatted her mother's paw away.

"Mama, it is important! I can tell you're hiding things from me." She pointed a finger over to where the robed figure stood with his back to them. "I want to know who he – Augh!"

Yue was, by surprise, pulled towards her mother, ducking her head forward as a blade swiped across the position where her neck once was. Before the person could take another swing at the panda girl's head, Fu leaned over her daughter and landed the heel of her palm on the swordsman's nose. The attacker howled in pain as he felt the cartilage break under the force of the strike. She immediately threw her daughter, as well as the flute, to the ground and jumped over with a flying kick aimed into the swordsman's chest. He we was sent hurtling backwards to where more of the feline's came running. Jade Warrior was quickly by her side, his sword pointed at the oncoming wave of assassins. The first few dove for Fu and her assailant, the others passed by them without the slightest interest.

Beneath his straw hat, Jade Warrior saw the remaining killers where heading right for Yue. With a quick swing of his sword he forced the enemy back a few paces, giving him the chance to turn and run for the others. Those who he had just scared off where fast to come back in for the attack but where unknowingly blocked by Fu.

In the middle of all this melee scrap, Yue propped herself up with one elbow. She rubbed head at her mother's action of pulling her to the floor. She looked to where the battle was happening; she could see her mother in the distance fighting off more of the strange felines. Though her attention was firstly demanded by those who were running right for her, she could almost see the fury in their eyes. Though a quick shadow passed over them, and blocked off their advance within a foot or two from where she way. After a fast distraction, fending the assassin's off, the robed figure grabbed Yue by the scruff of her robe; instinctively she grasped the flute out of self-defence. She was hauled to her feet by the strength of the warrior. Surprised a bit by at the ease it took to get her up- quite little. "Protect yourself!" He bellowed.

Yue still seemed in shock about the sudden movements thrown on her, but she quickly regained her composure. She gripped the bamboo flute tightly; a smirk formed its way onto her lips. She was ready. Under the hat, the fighter smiled at her grin, but then he saw her eyes go wide as dinner plates. "Look out!" She screamed.

The hooded warrior knew what she meant and spun round with his sword raised, just blocking a strike from one of the swordsmen. He quickly brought up a knee to the feline's rib. A crack could be faintly heard over the sound of the small battle. The feline keeled over and feel to the floor, clutching its chest. The ally wasted no time in striking his sword into the feline's back. It quickly burst into ash. But more assassins hastily took its place and charged for Yue and the hooded fighter.

Yue and Jade Warrior dropped into their positions and raised the blades up at the assassins. Fu suddenly joined them at the side, one of the assassin swords in her paw. Her breathing was laboured and she had a few cuts, but she was still bursting with energy. She took a quick glance at Yue standing between her and the hooded ally.

In a way, seeing all them together, it made her smile –she swelled with pride.

With a large battle cry, the three warriors jumped head first into the assassins.

* * *

On the tip of the mountain's edge, Tiang sat in his meditation pose. His eyes were closed, but inside his mind he could see everything that was happening hundreds of feet below in the bottom of the valley. With more of those assassins created and used to his will he had almost accomplished his mission; if only that elderly panda hadn't got in the way and pulled her daughter out of swing of the sword.

The panther growled. He was so close.

As the battle continued to go on both in his mind and down in the valley below, his ears caught the sound of someone approaching. From his years of training he had grown accustom to realizing foot tread patterns. The Shadow was back. "Yes, my Lord?" The panther spoke calmly, even though he was severely concentrating on many things at once.

"There has been a change of plans, Tiang." Came the cold tone of the silhouetted figure. The panther could feel the shadow's presence by his side. He dared not open his eyes and lose focus. The shadow loomed dangerously over the edge of the mountain side; he peered down to the miniscule battle that raged on between the three warriors and the panther's assassins. He pulled an impressed face. "It seems you've come far from training. This is good." The panther did not respond nor did he open his fiery eyes. "I am pleased with your progress." He turned away from the edge and walked passed Tiang. He placed a paw on the panther's shoulder. "But for now, I order you to stop."

Tiangs' eyes snapped open. He quickly got to his feet and turned to the shadow. "What do you mean, stop? They have nowhere to run, I have them." His voice was tempered with anger and frustration. "You said not to fail you. I would be doing that now! You have no means to halt me in my actions. I trained under your teachings and for what? You're practically throwing my efforts aw-"

The Shadow spun on the panther, and with fast speed he rushed over to Tiang and grasped his throat. The panther was hoisted off the floor as if he were a feather. He stared down into the Shadow's eyes which burned with rage. "How _dare _you!" His voice roared as he held the feline off the ground. "How dare you speak to me like that! I saved your life, and this is how you repay me? If you so much as talk out of line to me again, I will personally strike you down where you stand! I sometimes wonder why I haven't killed you yet. You better hope for your sake that it's not too soon." The Shadow dropped the panther to the floor who coughed and gasped for air that he had been deprived of from the grip. The panther stood to full height. "We are to let them go." The shade's voice was more soother. Tiang made no objects, other than rubbing his throat where the hold was so tight. "They will be taken by a carriage, I have prepared, to the Valley of Peace. It was their original destination. The carriage should be along any minute." The shadow turned to the panther, his face calm but with tight eyes. "Now listen carefully to what I have to say. I have a new mission for you. And this one is of the upmost importance. I trust no one else with this task than you."

The panther's eyes narrowed. This was something unheard of from the Shadow. Unsure of the task he answered. "What do you need?"

Underneath all the darkness of the Shadow's form, a smile grew; showing a row of ice white fangs that gleamed as bright as the moon and were as sharp as needles. They were craving for blood.

And blood they would soon taste.

* * *

Back down in the curve of the valley, Xue, Fu and the mysterious warrior stood back to back. All of them were poised, facing out to the area around them. What had once been a luscious, endless field of green grass now resembled the features of a grave yard. All around the three warriors there was nothing but ash from the defeated assassins. As well as those who just simply burst into flames before falling to the floor as the others.

This is what gave the three skilled fighters both the time for a break they needed for recovery, as well as a chance to wonder as to why the remaining foes just fell, and that they hadn't even been touched. After a few more minutes of waiting for something to happen, Yue eventually broke form. She lowered the bamboo flute and stared out across the wide expanse of fields. Though she saw very little in the illuminated area, her ears managed to grasp a distant sound. It was gradually getting louder. Fu gradually joined her daughter's side. "Can you hear that?" Yue asked.

"Yeah." Fu replied. She listened more intently. "It sounds like...a carriage."

A gleam appeared in Yue's eyes. "A carriage?" She echoed. Fu nodded.

Jade Warrior soon joined the pair of females as he too could hear the sound of some kind of transport approaching. Thanks to his straw hat blocking out most of the shine of the moon's light, he was able to see further than the others. And there it was, a dust trail slightly kicking up in the horizon. A carriage was on approach. He smiled at the sight. It would pass right by them. "Go get your things from the wreckage. I'll stop the carriage." The fighter sheathed his sword and walked onto the dirt road. The two females made for the remains of their previous transport.

As Yue walked over to the half torn wreckage, her mother took the flute from her paws. She watched as with a quick turn of one of the carved dragon heads, the twin blades snapped back into the interior of the musical weapon, before it was packed back into its proper case. She asked no questions about the weapon/musical instrument, for now. As Yue walked to the carriage wreck, she caught something out of the corner of her eye. Turning off from her mother, she walked over and found something laid infront the face part of the carriage. She stepped round the overturned carriage and sighed at the sight.

It was the driver.

He was a wolf, and a dear friend. She had known him since childhood. It saddened her heart to see him dead. Apart from the gash across his chest, and openly staring eyes, he was still and unmoved. Yue grieved for his death as she placed paw tenderly on the wolf's head, dragging it down and closing his eyes. "I'm sorry." She cooed to the corpse. She kissed her paw and cupped it against the cold cheek of her passed friend. "_Ānxī__." _

It was calling of her mother that Yue got up from the corpse and walked back round to where he mother stood. The slender panda picked up her bags and walked over to the road where Jade Warrior had stopped the carriage. He had already explained to the driver that there had been an accident with the carriage. He promised to pay the driver if he was to take all three of them to the valley of Peace. There were no objections. Within minutes Fu and Yue's stuff was packed and they had boarded the carriage.

An hour or two passed in silence before the carriage pulled into the gates of the Valley of Peace. The driver stopped the cart and allowed his passengers to disembark. The hooded warrior paid the driver a reasonable amount of coins and thanked him for the ride. The three travellers thanked him again and waved as they walked into the gates, disappearing out of view.

The two pandas and Jade Warrior walked deep into the village before they stopped outside a house on a corner. There was no activity inside, the residents must have left. "Well, thank you again." Yue expressed her gratitude with a bow.

"No problem, it was the least I could do." The warrior tipped his head in return. He then turned to Fu. "Where will you two lovely ladies be staying?" He asked.

Yue was about to speak, ultimately having no answer. But Fu did. "Well, we didn't really make reservations. I'm sure we can find a local inn or something."

Jade Warrior scoffed and waved a paw. "Nonsense, I insist that you stay at my place. I have more than enough places for you two to sleep. You can stay as long as you like." He smiled underneath his hat.

"We couldn't possibly. You've done so much already." Yue declined.

"I insist."

Yue's eyes narrowed as she stared at the mysterious figure. "Why do you want to help us so much?" She inquired.

The figure looked at Fu for a second. She nodded in return. Jade Warrior sighed as he removed his hat. "I want to help you because..." He removed his hood and showed his face. He was a weathered panda. His eyes were bloodshot and aged but somehow they still held a soul and spark of energy in their jade coloured rims. Yue found herself starring at the taller panda with disbelief. "...I'm your father, and I say to get your little hide into that house immediately." Cheng joked with a laugh, pointing to the building behind him. He smiled contently at the stunned young female panda. "Welcome home, Yue. Welcome to the Valley of Peace." At the mention of the valley's name, a high piercing scream rang throughout the streets; the three panda's clasped their ears down at the shriek. It quickly subsided as it came. "Well...almost peaceful." Cheng joked as he stared up at the mountain where the scream originated.

* * *

The driver leaned back and counted the money that the hooded traveller had so generously paid before throwing it into a pouch on his waist. He then took the reins and turned the carriage around. Once a few yards from the gate, the driver knocked hard on his seat twice. In that absent action, it seemed like a meaningless motion to a passer-by. But it was actually a signal for a black silhouette to slip out from under the carriage and dive for the nearest bushes.

The form waited a while till the carriage was gone down the road till it crept out of the hedges. The figure was a panther; his clothes consisted of nothing that didn't look like a weary traveller. Even his weapon was concealed underneath his many, worn and torn robes, sitting neatly on his side. His eyes were a totally different story, among their fiery yellow glow a pair of red irises bore into the valley before him. With some slight focus and meditation the figure closed their eyes and reopened them with a slow breath to reveal them no longer red, but a calm-looking highlight of oceanic blue.

Tiang quickly drew up his hood and stepped forward towards the village.

A gentle breeze passed over him, its gusts whispering softly to the feline.

_A survivor._

_You're a survivor. _

_**TBC...**_


End file.
